System for surveillance of ocean dumping

ABSTRACT

A system for determining if ocean dumping of waste materials by licensed vessels occurs in other than assigned areas utilizes Loran receiving means for providing electrical signals indicative of the vessel&#39;&#39;s position. The Loran signals are applied to a recorder in which permanent records of the Loran signals are entered at specified times in response to Print Command signals from a command unit. The command unit contains a plurality of input switches which are actuated during the occurrence of specified events such as the beginning of an actual dump operation, to produce a Print Command signal and an identifying signal indicative of the particular switch that was actuated as well as a clock signal indicative of the time of occurrence of the recorded event. The resulting record of an entire voyage is suitable for submission to the licensing agency for their review.

Elnited States Patent 1191 Bizzigotti et a1.

[ Oct. 23, 1973 [75] Inventors: Pio J. Bizzigotti, Dix Hlls; JohnCharlton, Syosset, both of N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation, New

York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Sept. 6, 1972 [21] Appl. No.1 286,633

3,082,423 3/1963 Chiocca 346/14 R LORAN RECEIVER PrimaryExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt Assistant ExaminerS. C. BuczinskiAttorneyl-loward P. Terry [57] ABSTRACT A system for determining ifocean dumping of waste materials by licensed vessels occurs in otherthan assigned areas utilizes Loran receiving means for providingelectrical signals indicative of the vessels position. The Loran signalsare applied to a recorder in which permanent records of the Loransignals are entered at specified times in response to Print Commandsignals from a command unit. The command unit contains a plurality ofinput switches which are actuated during the occurrence of specifiedevents such as the beginning of an actual dump operation, to produce aPrint Command signal and an identifying signal indicative of theparticular switch that was actuated as well as a clock signal indicativeof the time of occurrenceof the recorded event. The resulting record ofan entire voyage is suitable for submission to the licensing agency fortheir review.

6 Claims, 1 fira wing Figure L.O.P. No.2

RCVR. STATUS INHIBIT RECORDER PRINT COMMAND VESSEL IDENTIFICATIOPATENTEDUCI23 I915 3,768,098

L.O.P. NO.IL

L.O.P. No.2 LORAN RECEIVER RCVR. STATUS INHIBIT EVENT NO..L

EVENT No.2 RECORDER EVENT NO. 3

EVENT No.4

PRINT COMMAND VESSEL IDENTIFICATIO SYSTEM FOR SURVEILLANCE OF OCEANDUMPING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Theinvention relates to surveillance systems and more specifically tosurveillance systems for providing a permanent record of the eventsoccurring during a vessels voyage.

2. Description of the Prior Art The proper disposal of waste materialsis becoming an increasingly urgent problem. In some geographical areas,such as New York City, waste material is loaded on barges which are thentowed to designated locations in the ocean and dumped.

An agency of the U.S. Government has the responsibility of grantingpermission for the dumping of wastes in the ocean. Permits are issuedwhich authorize the dumping of wastes in specific dump areas accordingto the nature of the waste material. Ocean dumping is believed to beoccurring in locations other than the prescribed dump areas. However,the extent and type of violations is not exactly known because of thepresent lack of a suitable monitoring system. Although rough seas andgenerally bad weather are likely conditions for early dumping, it issuspected that violations are often attributable to causes other thansafety considerations or emergency conditions.

For many reasons, including the deleterious impact of such practices onthe environment, it is highly desirable that the dumping of wastes belimited to the areas specified in the permits and applicableregulations. Violations are punishable by the imposition of severe finesand the irrevocation of permits. However, the imposition of suchsanctions requires convincing evidence that the alleged violationsactually occurred. The present invention involves means for obtainingsuch evidence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A permanent record of a vessels location duringthe occurrence of specified events is compiled by employing a Loranreceiver aboard the vessel and applying the electrical output signalsfrom the Loran receiver to a recording means during time intervals whenthe specified events occur. A simultaneous record of the time, nature ofthe recorded event and Loran receiver output signals is made so that therecord can be later scrutinized by the appropriate authority.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The single drawing is a block diagramillustrating the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The principal shipboardcomponents of the system are illustrated in the FIGURE. A receivingantenna 11 supplies signals to a Loran receiver 13. The resulting outputsignals from the Loran receiver 13 are applied to a recorder 15 and acommand unit 17. Signals from the command unit 17 are also applied tothe recorder as indicated.

The antenna 11 may be any suitable receiving antenna and would typicallybe in the form of a 15 foot vertical whip.

The Loran receiver is conventional and may typically comprise a pair ofcommercially available Loran A Model 500 Autofix receivers manufacturedby the.

Nautical Electronics Laboratories.

As is well known in the art, a Loran receiver produces a first LOPsignal indicative of an imaginary line-of-position on which the receiveris located, with respect to a first pair of transmitting stations. Thereceiver also produces a second LOP signal indicative of a secondimaginary hyperbolic line-of-position on which the receiver is located,with respect to a second pair of transmitting stations. The geographiclocation of the receiver is calculated by determining the intersectionof the two imaginary hyperbolic lines-ofposition.

As illustrated in the accompanying FIGURE, the Loran receiver of thepresent invention provides two output signals (LOP l and LOP 2) to therecorder 15. For the Loran receivers previously mentioned, each of theLOP signals is in the form of a four digit binary coded decimal. Thereceiver also provides a receiver status signal to the printer forcontinuous recording on the receiver status. The same receivers alsoprovide a print inhibit output signal which inhibits the formation of aPrint Command signal so that recording is not attempted during theinterval when the Loran line-ofposition registers are being updated. Anautomatic track alarm signal is also available from the particular Loranreceivers so as to provide a warning should loss of track occur.

The recorder 15 may be a commercially available Event Recorder such asthe Model 800 Event Recorder available from Newport Laboratories. Such arecorder is a 21 column printer which provides a print-out of the datain various columns on a paper tape. The unit responds to parallel entry,binary coded deciminal signals.

Information is entered into the recorder in response to a Print Commandsignal from the command unit 17. The command or events unit consistsbasically of a straightforward switching means. The command unit hasbeen shown only in functional form in the FIGURE to illustrate theprinciples of the invention. The command unit contains a bank of inputswitches 19 which may be manually actuated. Closure of any one of theswitches in the bank 19 produces a unique identifying signal on anassociated output line and also acts through an OR circuit means 21 toproduce a Print Command signal which orders the recorder 15 to recordall signals being applied to its input terminals at that time.

The command unit 17 further contains a clock means 23 which producesrelative time signals indicating the time at which each recording ismade.

The various input switches are actuated upon the occurrence of specifiedevents. Thus, the top switch corresponding to event number 1, may beactuated according to a prearranged schedule at the time the vessel isleaving the dock. The second switch, corresponding to event number 2,may be actuated when the vessel is abeam a given fixpoint. The thirdswitch, corresponding to event number 3, may be actuated upon thecommencement of the dump and the bottom switch, corresponding to eventnumber 4, may be actuated upon the completion of the dump.

Although only four input switches have been illustrated for purposes ofexplanation, any convenient number of input switches may be included inthe system. The input switches may, for example, be manually actuatedpushbuttons or switches which are automatically actuated in response tothe given event. Thus, switches corresponding to the commencement andtermination of a dump may be actuated automatically from the dumpmechanism. More elaborate systems might conveniently employ a draftsensor connected to sea pressure and a series of pressure switchespreset to switch in sequence at specified fractions of a full load. Theswitch outputs can then provide discrete signals for appropriaterecording on one channel of the printer.

It can thus be seen that the time of occurrence of any prearranged eventas well as the geographical location of the vessel at that time can bereadily recorded with the system of the present invention.

If desired, a further signal uniquely identifying a particular vesselmay be generated in the command unit 17 and recorded in the recorder 15.

In addition to recording time and vessel position during the occurrenceof the various events, it is usually desirable to record intermediateperiodic positions. This may be accomplished by dividing the clockoutput signal in a suitable frequency divider means 25 so as to produceperiodic Print Command signals. In a typical surveillance system, forinstance, a Print Command signal may be produced every six minutesduring the voyage and every fifteen seconds for a period of two minutesimmediately following each Event."

In a typical operation, the vessels captain initially writes identifyinginformation on the paper tape which will form the record of the voyage.The captain then tunes the Loran receivers so as to acquire twopreselected master Loran signals. The Loran receivers automaticallyacquire the slave signals and automatically track, thus providing andcontinuously updating the two Loran lines-of-position. The printerautomatically records the two lines-of-position and time each 6 minutesas determined by the clock in the command unit. When any of thepre-selected events occur, the captain depresses the appropriate inputbutton so as to record the time and vessels position. Whenever an inputbutton is depressed, the normal 6 minute recording period is interruptedand the specific event is recorded by the printer along with the time ofoccurrence. A complete set of data is recorded at second intervals for atwo minute period following the closure of an input switch.

Upon his return to port, the captain enters the date, time, and place,and signs the printed tape thus certifying that the data was recorded onthe specific trip and was not manipulated in any way. He then deliversthe data within a specified time to the concerned governmentauthorities.

The data delivered to the authorities is briefly reviewed to revealsuspects, and then examined in detail for any dump suspected of beingimproper.

The printed data provides a complete timed history of the entire dumpmission. The continuous timed record of vessel position with indicationsof specific locations at specified times would be very difficult tofabricate, manipulate, or falsify. In addition, the printout is in theEnglish language with only a simple coding for events so that thecaptain can make an intelligent review, thereby making his signaturemore meaningful.

It will be noted that in the basic system, the occurrence of a dump isindicated only by the captains depressing the corresponding buttons forthe start and completion of the dump. Accordingly, the integrity of thecaptain is relied upon. Understandably, the captain may forget todepress the events button at the correct time if at all. The reviewer ofsuch data would then simply look for the farthest travelled point, asdetermined by the two lines-of-position. It is then assumed that thedump occurred at that point. Certainly the dump did not occur at afurther point, since the vessel travelled no further. The dump may haveoccurred earlier, but this is not very likely since there is normallynothing to be gained by dumping early and then travelling further.

The surveillance system of the present invention provides a relativelyinexpensive and simple means for monitoring dump missions. The equipmentmay be housed in a single black box which requires electricalconnections only to ships power and to ground, and a simple antenna.Because of the simplicity of this structure, installation is simple anddoes not require drydocking or costly vessel modification. The system isrelatively portable so that it is practical for a system to betemporarily used aboard a vessel which only occasionally needs amonitoring system. Furthermore, no special shore station is requiredsince the Loran stations are already available.

It will be appreciated that the invention may be employed aboard a widevariety of vessels. Self-propelled dumpers would, of course, contain allof the equipment, including any draft sensors. Modern, sophisticatedtowed barges with large on-board crews and significant power generationcapability might also contain all of the on-board equipment forpracticing the invention. In applications involving a barge or scowwhich has limited crew or power available, the towing tug would carrythe basic equipment and the barge would carry any draft sensingequipment.

Although a variety of hyperbolic navigation systems are available, theuse of a Loran A scheme provides the most convenient and reliable systemas evidenced by comparative tests with Omega, Decca, Loran C" systems,as well as radar and radio detection finding systems.

In general, the described system represents a low cost system thatprovides a high probability of detecting violations. The equipment isreadily adaptable to all dump vessels with minimal vessel preparation.The basic system requires no signal transfer between a tug and a towedscow.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, itis to be understood that the words that have been used are words ofdescription rather than limitation and that changes may be made withinthe purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scopeand spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.

We claim:

1. A system for surveillance of ocean dumping comprising Loran receivermeans adapted for mounting on a vessel whose position is to bemonitored, means for tuning said receiver means to specified Lorantransmitting means, means in said receiver means for providingelectrical line-of-position signals representative of the geographicallocation of the receiver with respect to said transmitting means,command means, a plurality of input means in said command means forproviding a print command signal whenever one of said plurality isactuated and an identifying signal indicative of which one of saidplurality has been actuated, and recording means for making a permanentrecord of said line-ofposition signals in response to a print commandsingal, said command means further including clock means for providing aclock signal representative of the time of occurrence of a print commandsignal, said recording means further including means for permanentlyrecording said identifying and clock signals in response to a printcommand signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of input meansincludes a group of manually actuated input switches individuallycoupled to separate input terminals on said recording means, each ofsaid switches being further coupled to a common print command inputterminal on said recording means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that said clockmeans is coupled to an additional input terminal on said recordingmeans.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said Loran receiver provides firstand second line-of-position signals individually coupled to additionalinputterminals on said recording means, said recording means beingconstructed to provide a separate record corresponding to each of saidinput terminals during the occurrence of a print command signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said clock means is furthercoupledthrough a frequency dividing means to the Print Command terminalon said recording means so that periodic Print Command signals aresupplied to said recording means even in the absence of signals fromsaid switching means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said recording means is of the typein which the record is made on a moving paper tape upon which additionalhandwritten notations may be made where desired.

1. A system for surveillance of ocean dumping comprising Loran receivermeans adapted for mounting on a vessel whose position is to bemonitored, means for tuning said receiver means to specified Lorantransmitting means, means in said receiver means for providingelectrical line-of-position signals representative of the geographicallocation of the receiver with respect to said transmitting means,command means, a plurality of input means in said command means forproviding a print command signal whenever one of said plurality isactuated and an identifying signal indicative of which one of saidplurality has been actuated, and recording means for making a permanentrecord of said line-ofposition signals in response to a print commandsingal, said command means further including clock means for providing aclock signal representative of the time of occurrence of a print commandsignal, said recording means further including means for permanentlyrecording said identifying and clock signals in response to a printcommand signal.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality ofinput means includes a group of manually actuated input switchesindividually coupled to separate input terminals on said recordingmeans, each of said switches being further coupled to a common printcommand input terminal on said recording means.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2 further characterized in that said clock means is coupled to anadditional input terminal on said recording means.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 3 wherein said Loran receiver provides first and secondline-of-position signals individually coupled to additional inputterminals on said recording means, said recording means beingconstructed to provide a separate record corresponding to each of saidinput terminals during the occurrence of a print command signal.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4 wherein said clock means is further coupled througha frequency dividing means to the Print Command terminal on saidrecording means so that periodic Print Command signals are supplied tosaid recording means even in the absence of signals from said switchingmeans.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said recording means is ofthe type in which the record is made on a moving paper tape upon whichadditional handwritten notations may be made where desired.